Steven Pinell Book-In Photo
ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (Nov. 2, 2026) Last week, Judge Brian Williams of the 503rd Judicial District Court sentenced Steven Randall Pinell, 52, to fifteen years confinement in a Texas prison for the felony offense of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender with a Previous Conviction.
The Court heard testimony that, in late September 2025, a concerned citizen notified Rockwall County Crime Stoppers that Steven Pinell, a convicted sex offender, had been residing in Fate, Texas without complying with his sex offender registration obligations. An investigation conducted by Sergeant D. Guerrica of the Fate Police Department revealed that Pinell, who was married to a former schoolteacher, did in fact reside in Fate and had not properly registered with authorities as a sex offender. A warrant was issued for Pinell’s arrest, and he was apprehended in Oklahoma in late October 2025.
Assistant District Attorneys Andrew Gray and Erika Emmons further introduced evidence of Pinell’s extensive and disturbing criminal history, including convictions for rape and violation of a minor out of Arkansas and two prior convictions for failing to register as a sex offender out of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The State also presented evidence showing the Court that Pinell resided in a home less than 800 feet from a Fate middle school and within walking distance of a public park.
“Thanks to the vigilant citizens of Rockwall County, this dangerous individual will no longer be able to hide in our community,” said lead prosecutor, Andrew Gray. “This convicted rapist and child sex offender repeatedly chose to ignore the sex offender registration laws in multiple states, including ours. Our community won’t have to worry about the Defendant registering for a long time, because we’ll know exactly where he is—behind the walls of a Texas prison.”
“This convicted sex offender was living in the shadows next to a school and park,” said Rockwall County District Attorney Kenda Culpepper. “We appreciate the brave yet anonymous person who called in the tip to Crime Stoppers alerting the police to the situation. He or she may have proactively saved the life of a child.”
Man sentenced to 15 years for failing to register as sex offender while living in Fate added by Editor on
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